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Native American Legends: Yelis (Yeilis)
Name: Yelis
Tribal affiliation: Coos,
Alsea,
Yaquina
Alternate spellings: Yéilis, Yeilis, Ye'lis
Pronunciation:yay-leese or yay-liss
Also known as: Coyote
Type: Animal spirits,
transformer heroes,
tricksters,
coyotes
Related figures in other tribes: Coyote (Western)
Yelis is Coyote, the culture hero of the Coos, Alsea, and other tribes of the Oregon coast.
Although Yelis behaves as a trickster character in some Coos stories, he is also a more serious
transformer figure who teaches the people how to live and helps shape the world for them, and
therefore he was a respected figure among the Oregon Coast tribes.
The Universal Change:
Alsea myth about Yelis (Coyote) inventing games and naming the animals.
Recommended Books of Related Native American Legends
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
Coyote Was Going There: Indian Literature of the Oregon Country:
Excellent collection of folklore from the Oregon tribes.
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Additional Resources
Coos gods
Alsea language
Oregon tribes
Northwest Coast Natives
Northwest Indian art
Plateau Penutian languages
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Native ancestors
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Cupeno
Tribal tattoo design
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